[Open] some people just deserve to...
Gideon Clemments
The Priest

Age: 52 | Height: 6' 1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
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#15
Gideon

I'm the lesser of two evils
Or am I, am I tricking myself nice?
Gideon shrugged; she had a good point, but he didn't really see it as a contradiction to what he had said. The Gods enacted whatever was best, and clearly it had been time for whoever these 'children of Rae' were to go. Frey, if it wasn't her time, wouldn't let her perish..and if it was, would. "And...your emotions often derail you?" He asked, an eyebrow raised, finding that that was a common theme he was finding among the God's chosen.

A midwife and a madame; Gideon couldn't help the smirk as he thought that she was acting at either end of childrearing. She seemed...young, for both of those jobs, but he'd heard that in the less fortunate cities the life expectancies were low. "I see. So will you go back to your midwifery, or begin a new path as Frey's emissary? I know for a fact that those in Stormbreak would love to speak to one so close to a God. The Temple would welcome your visits."

Amalia was there often, but she was shy and often rather depressed, which Gideon didn't want to present to his congregation as the result of communion with the Gods. "And if you wanted to stay in Stormbreak, I promise you nowhere else would value you more."
If I'm a lesser of two evils
Who's this man, who's this act I hide behind?
Phoebe Steadman
the Nightingale
Midwife

Age: 26 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 46 - Endr: 41 - Luck: 41 - Int:
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#16
You not wanting me...
Phoebe considered his question for a moment in silence, honey eyes gazing out over the ocean. "They used to." she said quietly. "I was brought to Hollowed Grounds by the Voice...and since then...well...tragedy apparently arises in more than threes in Caido it seems." she said with a wry laugh. "Seeing a whole family murdered by LongNight monsters and dragging your gutted lover to safety, miscarrying twice, losing love twice - one ending in a messy divorce - a blight followed by a hallucination inducing fever, the death of my only family, and the world reminding me regularly that I don't belong in the span of three years in addition to starting completely over in a brand new world?" Phoebe shook her head after recounting it all. It was a lot for anyone, and she knew many of her Outlander companions had similar histories since arriving in Caido. "I was grossly unprepared for it all, and yes, my emotions got away from me regularly. But I am trying to do and be better, with Frey's help." she said with a small smile.

The Nightingale glanced back at him briefly. "I am a midwife, no matter where I am or what my goals are." she said with a light laugh. It was a skill she carried with her, to be used when and if necessary. "But as always, I will go and do whatever Frey asks me to, to the best of my ability." she said. And if that meant going to Stormbreak, she would. A brow arched as he made his assertion that she would be valued nowhere more, a smirk slowly curving her lips. "Nowhere else would value me more? Sounds awfully recruit-y if you ask me..." she said with a slight drawl, the grin on her lips the quiet indication of the joking nature of her words.
...Was the beginning of me wanting myself
Gideon Clemments
The Priest

Age: 52 | Height: 6' 1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 4 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 17 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 16 - Int:
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#17
Gideon

I'm the lesser of two evils
Or am I, am I tricking myself nice?
Gideon was used to hearing long, emotional tales from people he barely knew; it came with the territory; people often used him as a conduit for what they'd like to say to the Gods, to the universe. What they wanted to beg forgiveness for, what they needed, their regrets...it was a little usual for Phoebe to tell him everything so easily outside of the Temple, but he showed no outward signs of surprise, leaning forward with his fingers laced and elbows on his thighs as he listened.

"Well, you've certainly been through a lot. I usually don't hear that much from people twice your age." He said, puffing out his cheeks with a heavy huff of air and sitting back once she had finished. "As for not belonging, though...while I don't care for the one that brought you here, I think Frey choosing you means you're well and truly welcomed." Gideon's opinion on the Outlanders was...complicated, and maybe a little contradictory, but the Old Gods seemed happy enough to bestow powers upon new arrivals, so he could not shut them out.

Returning her smile easily, the same joking tone on his voice, Gideon replied: "That would be because I am trying to recruit you." Losing some of the mirth, he continued: "A conflict is coming, and the Old Gods need as many faithful as possible to fight. People seeing, speaking to Demi Gods...it's an invaluable tool to show them the beauty of love and belief in the Gods."
If I'm a lesser of two evils
Who's this man, who's this act I hide behind?
Phoebe Steadman
the Nightingale
Midwife

Age: 26 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 46 - Endr: 41 - Luck: 41 - Int:
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#18
You not wanting me...
Perhaps Phoebe would have been a bit more reserved with a stranger and her history under other circumstances. But he was part of the Order, and though he claimed not to have the same closeness with Cian and the others as she might've assumed, surely all of this information was already at his finger tips. Besides, he had asked about her emotional state, and there had been good reason for her to have struggled to control them in the past. Even still she had moments of struggle rooted in the realities of the last few years of her life. Phoebe managed a small smile at his words though, shrugging a bit. "Frey has accepted me, yes, but as much as we might wish it, aligning the human heart with that of the divine isn't so simple." she said. If anything it was a complicating factor.

But his joking quickly turned to seriousness, and the Nightingale looked away again. A conflict. People to fight. She had been prepared for these requests and questions, but perhaps not so soon as a result of her own naiveté. "Frey has explicitly instructed that fighting is not my task." she said calmly. It was the only very clear instruction the Herald had given her. She was to preserve the innocent, not participate in whatever bloodshed was to come. "I've considered visiting Stormbreak to see the gardens Frey and Safrin created, but if you are looking for me to aid the Order I am afraid you will be disappointed." She said. She had no qualms with talking to people about Frey and her experiences, but with the purpose of recruiting them to a war? No. Unless the Order began recruiting for a massive orgy, her purpose and theirs would remain separate.
...Was the beginning of me wanting myself
Gideon Clemments
The Priest

Age: 52 | Height: 6' 1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 4 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 17 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 16 - Int:
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#19
Gideon

I'm the lesser of two evils
Or am I, am I tricking myself nice?
"Yet it's what we strive for." It was what he had and would wish for his whole life; closeness with the Gods, a life of servitude repaid; the part of him that was pious reminded him that he didn't do this for payment, but it was hard to deny that Demi-Godship would be a welcome boon.

As soon as Phoebe began her excuses, Gideon began to think of ways to argue against them. He'd been a smooth talker his whole life and right now, he was determined to get the Demi-Gods on their side; it was blasphemous to him that some of them didn't seem to want to pick up arms for their Deities. "Fighting is not all there is in a war. I won't be fighting anyone, I don't think - the Ascended could probably overpower me." It smarted to admit, but more than one of those machines would be stronger than him.

"Come visit the gardens - you'll see what we're defending. What the Old Gods could have given the rest of the world by now if the Voice hadn't ruined their plans." He looked out over the sea, to the sinking orange sun and glints in the water, as if to imply the Voice would take that one day too. "I don't see how you can have the favour of the Old Gods and not oppose the very thing trying to destroy them and their work."
If I'm a lesser of two evils
Who's this man, who's this act I hide behind?
Phoebe Steadman
the Nightingale
Midwife

Age: 26 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 46 - Endr: 41 - Luck: 41 - Int:
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#20
You not wanting me...
"Did you not say you needed as many of the faithful as possible to fight?" she said, parroting back the words he had just said in response to his assertion that war was not all about fighting. A small smile curved her lips though. She meant nothing malicious by it, just pointing out the sudden change in tune. It wasn't a convincing arguement either way. Frey's intention for her role was what mattered, not what the Order thought it should be. If they were lucky it would align with their goals.

Phoebe glanced out at the same sun set, listening quietly as she spoke. "I know what the world would be. I lived in Hollowed Grounds remember." she said softly. She had witnessed how warped the world had become within the barrier. "And I have opposed them. I was one of the few, and perhaps first, to link the blight to the Ascended. My pleas for them to ask their goddess to fix it fell on deaf ears. They did not wish to take the blame. Even now I am not certain they would admit to have spread it." she said before looking back at him.

"And when I sought Frey's advice and asked why Rae had not stepped in to stop such an unnatural sickness, they asked me how I knew it wasn't natural...and I had no defense. Ascended fluid acts and reacts to other substances and chemicals and structures just like anything Rae or Frey created. It spread the blight through some form of contact, just like any other disease." Her gaze fell, mind worlds away as she recalled that moment. It had shaken much if her view of this world. "I am not saying I think they should be pardoned for their transgressions... but if you wish to speak for all the gods, you must remember that for Frey, the situation is not so black and white." she said.
...Was the beginning of me wanting myself
Gideon Clemments
The Priest

Age: 52 | Height: 6' 1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 4 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 17 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 16 - Int:
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#21
Gideon

I'm the lesser of two evils
Or am I, am I tricking myself nice?
"You're right, I'm mixing up my words. What I mean is that there's a lot of ways to fight, not just physical. You will be needed in the upcoming battles, but maybe not as a soldier. Maybe just as I am, someone to guide the people away from the temptation the Voice offers." Gideon shrugged, not pretending to know what her role in all of it was. The task he took on was not an easy one and required a lot of patience; the Voice offered eternal life, power, the chance to feel special...The Old Gods could be fickle and ambiguous.

He'd heard tales of the Blight before, but never from someone who'd been as involved as Phoebe said she was. The conclusions she'd drawn from the whole affair were certainly...interesting to the Priest, who had never before had the impression that any of the Gods would give the Ascended so much as a second of their time. "I have been told the Blight was set into motion by the Voice in the first place, though. Isn't that true?"

It was worrying that so many Demi Gods he met were so soft on these issues. "If it came to it, if you had to choose between your fellow faithful Accepted or the Ascended, do you know what side you'd be on?"
If I'm a lesser of two evils
Who's this man, who's this act I hide behind?
Phoebe Steadman
the Nightingale
Midwife

Age: 26 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 46 - Endr: 41 - Luck: 41 - Int:
PIM - Mythical - Dragon (Electricity) BRANBAST - Mythical - Sear Cat (Speech)
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MP: 1825
#22
You not wanting me...
Phoebe remained quiet as to the first point, afraid anything she had to say would only be countered with more words of duty and need. She had no doubt she would be needed, Frey would not have intervened as they had otherwise. But she was sure her interpretation of Frey's words was likely to be different from his and she wasn't sure he really wanted to hear how very little Frey cared for those who would fight upon the field.

"Indeed she did. More than likely using her Ascended as the vessels by which it was carried. The damage and pain it caused is something I don't think I could forgive her for." she said. She wasn't pro-Voice by any means. Experience proved she was not to be trusted. But she was different from her children, who Phoebe knew maintained human emotions and concerns. Bearing the burden of spreading the Blight was likely too much for any of them to carry in addition to their scorn.

"I would be on Frey's side." she said without hesitation. "And what Frey cares about is not whose side anyone is on, but what this war will do to the world we all depend on to survive. It doesn't matter which side wins if, in the end, Caido can no longer sustain life." she said, looking down at her feet. "When nature is suffering, Frey suffers as well. So really, neither side is particularly favorable in my eyes, knowing how much pain this war will cause my friend." she said, brows furrowing. Safrin and Ludo and their higher gods might have a stake in this race, but Frey and likely Rae couldn't care less, knowing that in the end, their work would suffer most simply by being the battlefield.
...Was the beginning of me wanting myself
Gideon Clemments
The Priest

Age: 52 | Height: 6' 1" | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 4 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 17 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 16 - Int:
Played by: lancydulac Offline
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Posts: 437 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#23
Gideon

I'm the lesser of two evils
Or am I, am I tricking myself nice?
"Hm." Gideon nodded as Phoebe confirmed what he thought; in his mind the Ascended were parts of the Voice, no different than her hands or lips; just as much to blame for the actions as she was. Perhaps they had once been souls worth saving or considering, but now they were only pawns to be used or destroyed. The Voice had started the Blight and spread it through the method she had; nothing had changed.

Gideon rolled his shoulders as he listened to Phoebe speak on Frey further; while he usually would not allow anyone, especially not someone so much younger and an Outlander, tell him about the Gods, he could feel the love Frey had for this one...he listened and admittedly, learned a new perspective.

Tilting his head from side to side as he took in this new information, he asked: "However...it could be said the Ascended are actively trying to destroy nature by their very existence, replacing people and things with machines and metal. We are trying to defend it - so even if we must come to war to do that...well, I would say it was necessary evil." Gideon sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, admittedly dramatizing his hesitation; he actually rather yearned for the war, for the chance to see the Ascended burn.

"I think I might need to pray to Frey myself. You've given me things to think about. I've found it...difficult to convince the young Demi Gods to join the fight with any passion; either I'm jaded or you are all too hopeful. Perhaps a little of both." Mostly talking to himself at this point, Gideon looked down and shook his head, shrugged and glanced back up. "I suppose regardless, we can agree on our love of the Gods and the world they've given us, as with this beautiful - but almost over - sunset." He gestured out over the ocean, where now the orange light was fading out over a deep blue shimmer, stars beginning to take hold overhead.
If I'm a lesser of two evils
Who's this man, who's this act I hide behind?
Phoebe Steadman
the Nightingale
Midwife

Age: 26 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 32 - Dext: 46 - Endr: 41 - Luck: 41 - Int:
PIM - Mythical - Dragon (Electricity) BRANBAST - Mythical - Sear Cat (Speech)
Played by: Grant Offline
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Posts: 3,062 | Total: 5,479
MP: 1825
#24
You not wanting me...
Phoebe smiled a bit as he considered her words before laying out his own perspective. It was one she could understand, though she wasn't certain she could see the world so simply. Frey had made clear that they did not, after all, and wasn't she now the way she was for the purpose of spreading their influence? "I think that would be good...and I would be interested in what they have to say about your perspective." she said. He was much older with strong convictions, and a view of the world colored by his life here. Certainly it would yield very different results.

"It is a good thing, I think, that they are hesitant for war. It is an ugly, painful thing. But I understand why you wish to see them aid your cause." she said, eyes turning to look at the fading light over the ocean. While she could not fully commit to his vision and this war, she knew it was likely inevitable for the others, whose divine guides seemed far more interested in the political affairs of mortals than her own.

"Indeed, we can." she said brightly, turning a grin his direction. "I am glad I happened upon you...it is nice to see that not all amongst the Order are like your leader." Phoebe giggled. Maybe Cian was the only off-putting one amongst them. She could hope anyways. "Have a good evening. Perhaps I will see you in Stormbreak if I've ever a chance to visit." she said before turning to head on her way.

-FIN
...Was the beginning of me wanting myself


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